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| News Papers |
| There are several 100 news papers and Internet news stories so it is imposable to have the all here on Jesus Camp. |
News
Jesus Camp portrays a charismatic outreach to children as a radical training ground for
militant Christianity
Youth Ministry Is Focus
Of Film, Criticism
A charismatic ministry that became the subject of a documentary has come under fire
for its efforts to mobilize children to address political and cultural issues through prayer.
Released in select theaters in September and October, Jesus camp follows preteens
participating in events led by Kids in Ministry International (KIMI) based in North Dakota
Founded by Pentecostal children's minister Becky Fischer. KIMI teaches Christian
children to exercise supernatural gifts and engage in spiritual warfare. In 2995, Fischer
allowed Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady of Loki Films to visit the ministry's Kids on Fire
camp and a preceding prayer conference to create a documentary about children who
were passionate about their faith. The pair co-directed The Boys of Baraka, a 2005
documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award.
Painting KIMI as a training ground for pint-sized Christian soldiers, the film quotes
Fischer as saying she wants to see youth "who are as committed to the cause of Jesus
Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam." Campers are also shown
touching a life-size poster of President Bush as a point of contact in prayer.
Mainstream critics accused Fischer of encouraging youth to worship President Bush
and teaching them to be willing to die for conservative adults political causes.
"We are commanded in the Word to pray for our government leaders," Fischer said.
"But when we drug out a life-size poster of President Bush to teach kids this Scripture,
secular eyes saw it as political."
Some of those secular eyes also saw the movie as proof that Christians are
orchestrating a vast right-wing conspiracy. The film won the Scariest Movie Award when
it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Yet it also won the Sterling
Feature Grand Jury Award at the Siverdocs Frestival in Washington D.C.
Fischer said she was surprised to see political themes in the final product. "I have never
ever considered anything we do political in any way." Fischer said.
She believes Ewing and Grady, who were admittedly unfamiliar with Christianity, shifter
the film's focus when---during her three-day School of Prayer for Kids
conference--prayer leader Lou Engle discussed his vision to organize youth to pray for
the peaceful overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Despite the controversy, Fischer has supported the film and says she doesn't feel
exploited. But other Chrisians have been critical of Jesus Camp.
Charismatic pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
and one of the most prominent Christions in the film, publicly denounced the movie,
telling the Denver Post that the filmmakers cast their subjects in a sinister light and
misrepresented evangelicalism.
Yet Fischer believes the film can show viewers that children "can be powerful in the
army of God." She said she received prophecies in 2002 and 2003 that she would be
"on national TV with children who are operating in the supernatural."
Produced in cooperation with A&E IndieFilms, Jesus Camp is to release on DVD in
January and may be broadcast on television in the spring.
Renee Deloriea
Jesus Camp portrays a charismatic outreach to children as a radical training ground for
militant Christianity
Youth Ministry Is Focus
Of Film, Criticism
A charismatic ministry that became the subject of a documentary has come under fire
for its efforts to mobilize children to address political and cultural issues through prayer.
Released in select theaters in September and October, Jesus camp follows preteens
participating in events led by Kids in Ministry International (KIMI) based in North Dakota
Founded by Pentecostal children's minister Becky Fischer. KIMI teaches Christian
children to exercise supernatural gifts and engage in spiritual warfare. In 2995, Fischer
allowed Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady of Loki Films to visit the ministry's Kids on Fire
camp and a preceding prayer conference to create a documentary about children who
were passionate about their faith. The pair co-directed The Boys of Baraka, a 2005
documentary that was nominated for an Academy Award.
Painting KIMI as a training ground for pint-sized Christian soldiers, the film quotes
Fischer as saying she wants to see youth "who are as committed to the cause of Jesus
Christ as the young people are to the cause of Islam." Campers are also shown
touching a life-size poster of President Bush as a point of contact in prayer.
Mainstream critics accused Fischer of encouraging youth to worship President Bush
and teaching them to be willing to die for conservative adults political causes.
"We are commanded in the Word to pray for our government leaders," Fischer said.
"But when we drug out a life-size poster of President Bush to teach kids this Scripture,
secular eyes saw it as political."
Some of those secular eyes also saw the movie as proof that Christians are
orchestrating a vast right-wing conspiracy. The film won the Scariest Movie Award when
it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Yet it also won the Sterling
Feature Grand Jury Award at the Siverdocs Frestival in Washington D.C.
Fischer said she was surprised to see political themes in the final product. "I have never
ever considered anything we do political in any way." Fischer said.
She believes Ewing and Grady, who were admittedly unfamiliar with Christianity, shifter
the film's focus when---during her three-day School of Prayer for Kids
conference--prayer leader Lou Engle discussed his vision to organize youth to pray for
the peaceful overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Despite the controversy, Fischer has supported the film and says she doesn't feel
exploited. But other Chrisians have been critical of Jesus Camp.
Charismatic pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
and one of the most prominent Christions in the film, publicly denounced the movie,
telling the Denver Post that the filmmakers cast their subjects in a sinister light and
misrepresented evangelicalism.
Yet Fischer believes the film can show viewers that children "can be powerful in the
army of God." She said she received prophecies in 2002 and 2003 that she would be
"on national TV with children who are operating in the supernatural."
Produced in cooperation with A&E IndieFilms, Jesus Camp is to release on DVD in
January and may be broadcast on television in the spring.
Renee Deloriea
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| Kids in Ministry. Becky's Web Site |